Three Renegades
by Nintendo Nut1
Summary: AU once more. An extremist group known as the Gulan have taken brutal control over the country, and their citizens now live in fear. It's up to three warriors of the Blue Heart Renegade to end this reign of terror...Currently on hiatus.
1. Prologue: A Changed Country

A/N: WOO! ANOTHER EPIC! Okay, I know I have a billion other things to do, but I wanted to get this rolling ASAP, cause I'm HOPELESSLY stuck on it, and I'm hoping you guys can help me. I have a good four chappies so far, so I'll update them since FME is bugging me (AGAIN! nah, just kidding!). This pics stars mostly the human Smashers, with only a few exceptions. And maybe there will be a couple non-Smashers too! ;) So anyways, here's a tiny preview!

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Three Renegades: Prologue: A Changed Country

For decades the country has known nothing but fear. As what was formally known as the Untied States of America was raged in war, a man named Bowser led his group of extremists called the Gulan against the government. It toppled like a card castle. Since then, Bowser became the Big Brother of a totalitarian state, and has ruled the nation with an iron fist. His is a country where those who resist are swiftly executed and the innocent are plundered by his followers for experimental research. His is a conquest for constant and unbeatable power. And his is a country controlled by fear.

And yet, even in these dreaded times, there is hope. A group of young rebels formed their own "government" to resist Bowser, an organization known as the Blue Heart Renegade. this "terrorist group," as the Gulan labeled them, consists of highly-trained spies and assassins with goals of exterminating Gulan officials to slowly bring their rule to an abrupt halt. And yet they hold a code of honor, modeled after the US Army of yesteryear. Even as Bowser's Gulan followers take out these Renegade agents one by one, the rebellious association still lives strong.

This is about three specific agents, whose tragic pasts and roles in the Renegade may soon play a big part in the final stand...

**_Radio Transmission, En route to Rocky Hills Reserve Gulan Base, WY_**

"Sorry I sent you boys out without the mission specs, had to get you out on the road as soon as possible."

"Not a problem, Lieutenant Colonel. We're approaching the front gates. Looks like they don't bother to guard this place."

"Didn't think so. Anyway, this is where they're keeping First Lieutenant Peach, along with several confidential research information."

"Are you serious? In this dump?"

"Apparently. But we got word from a Gulan alert transmission that she escaped. She's most likely securing all the research data."

"And we gotta make sure her and the data get out in one piece, right?"

"Sharp as ever, kid. I'm on my way over as well. Meet me outside the gates after you've escorted her out, and we'll rendezvous at the extraction point where the choppers will pick us up."

"Got it."

"Careful, boys."

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A/N: Yep, there's my impressive prologue! XD Don't worry, the first chapter will make up for it. Fourteen... fricken.. pages... T.T Hopefully people will enjoy this fic! Review what there is so far! 


	2. Ch 1: Three Renegades

A/N: Alright! Took me a while to get this up, but... IT'S LONG! OKAY? God! XD Anyway, here it is! Read on, friends!

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Three Renegades: Chapter 1: Three Renegades

_Transferring Data..._

"Come on, come on... Transfer faster, come _on!_"

First Lieutenant Peach was never known for her patience. She stood in front of the last computer in the R&D room, her wristband computer plugged in and receiving all the information it held. She hissed at it quietly, as not to reveal her position, knowing she barely had enough time to pull this off and escape. The base was swarming with troops, and with her only armed with a stolen pistol, things would get pretty bleak if she was found again.

_Transfer Complete._

"Thank God!" She ripped her arm and the cable away, and upon that hurried movement, the alarm was set off, blaring loud enough to be heard in a 10-mile radius.

"_Shit!_" Peach cursed and turned on her heel to search for a place to hide. Just before she reached one of the exits, however, a hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her back.

"Where _you_ going, little lady?"

Highly annoyed, Peach turned to face a tall man in the dark green Gulan uniform, his eyes hidden by a tight helmet. His badge had a single word etched on it: _Falcon._

"Hmm?" he asked again, a soft, disturbing smile on his face. "Thought you could get away, huh, little bitch?" He chuckled and reached down with his other hand, squeezing her butt cheek.

"_Ugh! Let go!_" Angered by his harassment, she swung her free fist, only to have him catch it with little effort.

"Ooh, cat's got claws, reow..." he drawled sickly, holding on tighter as she struggled to escape his grasp.

"Let go, you mother-f...!" She stopped short when she heard shouts and gunshots not too far away, in another hallway.

Falcon noticed it too. "Oh, that. Hehe... Looks like your friends sent in a rescue party. My units are taking care of them, though, so you don't have to worry about leaving yet."

Peach cringed as the last gunshot left things silent in the background once more. She turned back to the demented grin on this sick man's face, suggesting non-cleanliness. Peach shuddered.

He chuckled softly, pulling her in, letting his hot breath caress her face. "Now, how 'bout you and I..."

But thankfully he never finished that remark, as a dot of red shone on his dark visor, followed by a young, male, serious voice.

"Get your mitts off her, slimeball."

Falcon paused before the grin slowly returned and he turned to the target light's source. There in the opposite doorway stood three young males, obviously not Gulan soldiers. The one who had spoken was slightly shorter than the other two (and most likely younger), with untamed, vibrant red hair and bright, stern eyes of blue. His black leather was worn loose and baggy, arms willingly exposed by a sleeveless jacket. He held the laser-guided pistol stiffly in his hand, and a Wo Dao Japanese sword was strapped to his belt. His youthful face reflected disgust and anger.

To the redhead's right was a blue-haired man, only a couple years elder. His bangs fell carelessly into his crystal blue eyes that bore resemblance to the youth's. However, his black leather was secured, sans the back of his trenchcoat. In his hands, he held a staff made of some kind of light, yet strong metal, just in case Falcon tried anything. His handsome face showed his cautious and suspicious nature.

Finally, to the left was an odd-looking blonde, with pointed ears and mask-smooth features that didn't seem humanly natural. A long black hat covered all but his bangs, which nearly covered his eyes, sapphires that were devoid of any and all feeling; the eyes of an assassin. His clothing was tight, his gloved hands resting on the hilts of the two Sabers hanging at his hip. His otherworldly face reflected tense indifference.

Peach stared at these three for a moment. She knew they were Renegade agents, but she couldn't recognize them. Then again, rarely did she associate with officers lower than herself. But if her superiors sent in just three units, they were either suicidal or really good.

"Hey, are you deaf? _Let her go!_" the redhead demanded, cocking the pistol as a warning.

That cocky grin did not waver on his cold face, but he did not follow his orders, still holding onto Peach as his other hand reached for his belt. "So, they sent you punks in... They've told me about your prowess as killing agents..."

What followed was a swift movement where Falcon spun around to the back of Peach, holding a shiny silver handgun to her throat, to which she instantly froze in horror. The redhead flinched, withdrawing his pistol slightly. The cobalt took a jumpy step forward, and the blonde pulled one of his swords out halfway.

Falcon chuckled at this reaction. "...So let's see you fight with your officer at gunpoint!"

He stepped to the back wall, tugging a disgruntled Peach with him, and pressed a button on the wall. Instantly, the other two walls opened up, and out came several units of Gulan soldiers, armed with various guns and blades. They blocked all exits and assumed defensive battle stances.

The redhead looked between his two compadres, none of them fazed by the odds laid before them. They all nodded to each other, exchanging silent messages only they could understand. And before any one of the Gulan could act, the redhead re-aimed and shot once, and the gun flew out of Falcon's hand and landed in the opposite side of the room with a clank. All of which happened in one second. Falcon growled, eyeing the redhead spitefully, then shoved Peach to the ground and made a beeline for his gun.

And at that point, all Hell broke loose. Several Gulan surrounded the cobalt, raising their guns. But before they could unleash any lead, he quickly unarmed them with only a couple spins and thrusts of his staff. With amazing reflexes and control, he pivoted around several times and knocked his foes around with deadly force to the neck, chest, and skull, killing several of them instantly with a single blow of the incredibly strong metal. And no matter how many came from all directions, he continued his spinning motions and took on entire groups at a time.

The blonde, elfin being was certainly holding his own as the Gulan masters of the blade approached him. It took incredible skill to wield two dangerously sharp Sabers at once, and he was surely worthy of the complicated style of combat. He blocked all advances, even the ones from behind (his enhanced hearing caught the sounds of metal slicing the air), and his swords moved in a blur as he slashed one defenseless Gulan after the other. But with each scream, each death, his stiff face never wavered, and he showed no signs of fatigue no matter how many kept coming. He continued to slay his opponents as if that was the one thing he was created to do.

As Falcon snatched up his pistol, the redhead showed no fear as he slipped his gun into its holster and unsheathed his thin sword, tainted red from the previous battle in the halls. He gave Falcon a stern glare until the Gulan official gave out a war cry and unleashed every bullet that was inside. Yet the redhead moved blindly fast, blocking every single lead pellet with his blade as sparks flew the ricochet. But his legs moved at a different tempo than his upper body, taking slow steps forward to get close to Falcon. And before he could realize this, Falcon's gun clicked, out of ammunition. He cringed as the redhead stood right in front of him, holding his sword casually below his waist.

"Well... I'd say you're shit outta luck."

The blonde was now confronting a highly-skilled Gulan that blocked every attempt at a slash of thrust. He soon grew cocky and got an attack in, slicing a long cut across the blonde's cheek. Both froze, the Gulan caught by surprise by the sudden shocked look on the youth's face. He slowly brought his hand up to draw his fingers across his cheek, then drew back to glance upon the crimson blood gleaming on his fingertips. He then looked up at the Gulan, and a vicious scowl crossed his face. He thrust a Saber with enough strength to knock the sword out of the man's hand, then spun his blades in humanly impossible, swift movements, slashing into his target nearly infinite times. When he was finished and withdrew, the Gulan stood there for a second, then literally fell to pieces in a bloody pile. The blonde took this with satisfaction as he spun around to parry another Gulan and run him through.

The assault number on the cobalt dwindled, and he soon found the opening to approach the woman sitting against the wall, trying not to get in the crossfire of any brawls. She drew back a little when he came close, but he held his staff against his shoulder, showing he meant no harm.

"Are you the First Lieutenant?" he asked in a young, crisp voice.

Peach blinked. "Y-yeah."

"Did you get all the info?"

She nodded.

"Alright, then. We'll take care of this, then get..."

"_Look out!_" she shrieked, pointing behind him. Without him turning his eyes away from her, he gripped the staff and thrust it behind him. There was a gurgle, and Peach stared on in horror as the staff's end had driven itself into the Gulan's skull through the eye. The cobalt pulled it back and looked over the bloody tip in disgust, not noticing the dead man collapse behind him or the dumbstruck look on Peach's face.

"Dammit... I just had it cleaned, too..."

Suddenly, a piercing bang and a resounding _CLANG!_ halted everything. The last Gulan foot soldier that was engaging the blonde halted in his movements to glance over to where the sound came from. The elfish being took this opportunity to lop the man's head off, then turned himself once he knew the rest of the room was free of anymore distractions.

Falcon had a smoking gun, one he must've pulled again from his belt. He kept it there as he stared at the evident bullet hole in the redhead's pants, but underneath was sleek metal that the bullet had bounced off. It now rolled around on the floor, dented and useless.

The redhead looked calm as he gave Falcon a smirk. "Huh. Trying to blow out my kneecaps before you go for the final blow. Man, that's cold."

Falcon then blanched in horror as the youth stuck him like a pig, the tip of the bloody blade sticking out of his back. He stared at the sword in his stomach for a moment, then dragged his gaze back up to the tense redhead. Then he began to chuckle. Then laugh. Then guffaw. Angered by this, the redhead twisted the blade, to which Falcon cringed deeply, but only continued his mad laughter. The youth snorted in disgust as he swiftly pulled the blade out and watched Falcon sink to the ground, ending his life with a pitiful gurgle.

The redhead sighed, sheathing his bloody sword. Ignoring all the dead bodies on the floor, he turned towards Peach and the cobalt who bore striking resemblance to him. "She alright?"

"Yeah," he answered, helping Peach to her shaky feet. The blonde only sheathed his Sabers and nodded in response.

"Right, then. Let's get the hell out of here."

"Wait," the blonde spoke in a voice that sounded stale, like it wasn't used much. His two companions followed his command as he stepped over Gulan carcasses and knelt beside Falcon, blue eyes tense as he searched the corpse. Now, with the dreaded silence, the other three could hear what he heard once he pulled off the man's helmet: soft rhythmic beeping. He moved the man's head to examine the back of his neck and found the source of the noise. His brows furrowed.

"A Death Bomb."

The cobalt flinched. "No way!"

"What kind of a retard has a Death Bomb for their own base?" the redhead exclaimed.

Peach stood there, oblivious to the situation at hand. "Wait, what's the hell's a Dea..."

"_Go!_ We gotta get outta here! _Move!_" the cobalt commanded, and the four were soon running down the hallways to escape the danger they were in as several alarm systems were set off at once.

"What's a Death Bomb?" Peach hollered over all the loud noise.

"It's a mechanism... placed... on a carbon-based life form," the cobalt answered through his puffs of breath. "When the host dies... and the life readings disappear... the detonator's set off... to blow the whole place apart!"

Learning this, Peach expedited her pace, now knowing the deep trouble they were in. All the while, the redhead continuously cursed himself for bringing this upon them.

_Dammit... There I go, acting before I think again... The Colonel's really gonna chew me out for this one..._

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The forests of Rocky Hills were as of now quiet, but the Lieutenant Colonel knew better. He stood just out of range of the Gulan base's radars, watching the road from the side for any signs of his Renegade agents. He had decided that his regular bright uniform was not suitable for the occasion, instead wearing regular agent attire that allowed him to blend into the foliage that much easier. He gripped his shotgun tighter, just in case, his blue eyes attentive to the road, the wind flapping through his rugged brown hair, and his lips pursing underneath his bushy mustache.

_Hope the boys are alright..._

Just then, he heard the rev of a jeep's engine, and he stepped out onto the road once the vehicle came into view. Knowing his agents were inside, he waved and called out continuously, "_Hey! Over here!_"

"Huh?" The redhead, behind the wheel, peered through the windshield, then leaned forward, glancing past the cobalt in the middle and at the blonde. "Hey, pick up the Lieutenant Colonel for us, will ya?"

"Right." The blonde took it as an order and climbed out the window, leaning dangerously above the road rolling past. Slightly confused, the man stood there on the side of the road, and before he could react, the blonde grabbed him under the arms and plucked him off the dusty ground. The Lieutenant Colonel cried out in surprise as he was held by strong arms above the road, with the vehicle probably going at the very least a hundred miles per hour.

"WAH! WHAT'S THE RUSH?" he hollered.

"No time! Get in!" the cobalt shouted in response.

As he took a solid grip on the back window rim, both him and the blonde cringed as a round of bullets ricocheted off the side of the truck.

"Get in, get in, _get in!_" The blonde shoved him through the window forcefully, and he landed in the back seat with a flop. He quickly adjusted himself and let out an exhausted sigh, though he knew it wasn't over yet.

"Mario!" He glanced up at his name to see First Lieutenant Peach sitting right beside him. He smiled at seeing her face.

"Hey."

The blonde slipped back in, dodging more fire. "We've got a caravan filled with the rest of the Gulan following us."

"Terrific," the redhead grumbled, addressing the cobalt. "Hey, take care of them, sureshot."

"Yeah, sure." He reached down below the seat and pulled out a long shotgun, then opened a hatch in the roof and climbed up onto the roof of the jeep. Sure enough, there was a van trailing a few yards behind them, the Gulan poking out in several places, determined to bring down the intruders. The cobalt aimed, shot, and dodged all bullets alike as the car swerved down the road. After almost losing his balance, he shouted down below, "Hey! Keep it steady!"

"Sorry!" the redhead responded, swerving again.

"...Wait, when'd _you_ get a license?" Mario asked, fearing the answer.

"What license?"

_Yep..._

"Argh!" the cobalt cried out as a shot knocked the shotgun out of his hands, and it landed on the ground, out of action. "Stupid fuckers!"

"Get back in, I'll give it a shot." Mario hefted his own gun, leaned out his side window, and delivered a few rounds, taking out a few Gulan himself. That is, until...

"Mario!"

"What?" He turned towards the voice to face the barrel of a missile launcher.

"WHOA!" He ducked just as the blonde fired a missile right past his head. It slammed into the engine of the Gulan van, setting off a massive explosion that instantly destroyed that danger.

"Oh, nice!" Mario commented once the two had slipped back inside. "...So... what's with the rush?"

He was answered by a series of explosions far off behind them with enough force to rock the ground madly. The fiery balls of inferno from the exploding base rolled on like a wave, engulfing the forests feet by feet, mile by mile. The redhead reacted by stepping on the gas pedal as far down as it went, losing the majority of his control.

"_Watch out!_" Peach shrieked as the explosions sent the heavy frame of the Gulan caravan straight at them from behind. The redhead roared and rotated the wheel several times to his left, and the jeep slid across the weak soil, balancing on two wheels and threatening to topple over. The burnt caravan missed them by mere inches as the fires began to dwindle. The car skidded to a stop, landing firmly on all fours and facing the destruction that rocked the Rocky Hills reserve.

There was a genuine moment of silence as the group took their time to recover from one extremely close call. Wordlessly, Lieutenant Colonel Mario heaved open the side door with his foot, stepping onto dry white ash. He stared tiredly out into the land, with only burning timbers and twisted metal as proof that anything ever existed in this dusty wasteland. Hearing the others step out of the jeep, he heaved a sigh, not really caring, but asking anyway.

"Alright... What's you guys do?"

"I dunno," the cobalt answered, looking a tad pissed off. "Why don't you ask Mister Stab-Happy over there?"

"Hey! I didn't _know_ he had a Death Bomb, alright? God!" the redhead protested like the stubborn teen he was.

Mario blinked. "They had a Death Bomb for their own base? That's kinda stupid."

"_THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING!_"

"But did you get all the data?"

"Yeah," Peach responded.

A grin came to Mario's face. "Then we've got one less Gulan base to worry about. Well done, boys."

The redhead gave the cobalt a cocky smirk that said "he's on MY side!" while the older one rolled his eyes at such immaturity. The blonde stood apart from this, almost a tinge of envy in his eyes.

"Oh, Roy."

The redhead's smirk disappeared as he turned to Mario. "Yeah?"

"Leave the driving to Marth now."

"W-what? Hey, I got us outta there!"

"You heard the Lieutenant Colonel, squirt." It was now the cobalt's turn to wear the smirk. "I'm driving us back."

"_DON'T CALL ME THAT!_" Roy writhed in frustration as Marth caught him in a headlock, Mario laughing at their antics. Peach chuckled herself until he eyes found the blonde, his face still unchanged from before. The strange youth's mysteriously angular gaze stared back at her, then lowered as if he wasn't worthy of her gaze. He only turned back to the truck and waited for the others.

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A/N: BWAHAHA! At last I am done! Don't worry if you're confused about some parts, for all shall be revealed in the next couple chapters. I'm sure it's pretty obvious who the blonde is, but I won't use his name until chapter three. Next chapter will reveal Marth and Roy's past, and it's... (checks) THIRTEEN PAGES! GAH! X.X WHY? WHY DO I WRITE SUCH LONG CHAPTERS? AHHHHH... Okay, I'm done. XD Please review! 


	3. Ch 2: The Lowells' Story

A/N: Okay, time to take a rest from the action (mostly) and explain some things! And guess what? Someone's making a cameo appearance in the SSBM section! Who, you ask? Read on and find out!

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Three Renegades: Chapter 2: The Lowells' Story

"Which way, Mario?" Marth asked from behind the wheel. Roy sat between him and the blonde, sulking.

"Hmm? Ah, twenty miles west," Mario answered offhandedly, leaning in the back seat to earn himself some rest. But that wouldn't come anytime soon, as he had a curious companion beside him.

"Mario..."

Folding his hands behind his head, Mario turned at his name again to look at Peach. "Yeah?"

"Who _are_ these agents?"

Mario sat up, smiling. "Ah, you actually care this time, eh? Well, I should start with those two."

"Marth and Roy?" She glanced towards the front as Roy decided to fiddle with the radio and Marth didn't seem too happy about it.

"Yep. You may not think of it at first glance, but they're brothers. The Lowell brothers, to be exact." He smiled as the two fought over what radio station to listen to. "They don't look like it, but they've been through a heck of a lot."

"Lowell... That name sounds familiar..."

"It should. Did anyone ever tell you about the Renegade Eliwood Lowell?"

"Oh, yes, a little bit..."

"Yeah, he was before your entry. Best damn agent we've ever had. He shut down most of the Gulan Lab networks in the East and freed thousands of test subjects from their sick experiments. He was the first recipient of the Blue Heart medal. We felt he deserved one."

_The precession hall of the Blue Heart Renegade HQ was overfilled with people, officials and agents alike, gathered for the occasion. Standing up front, facing the uniformed high officials, the youth with rich red hair and clear blue eyes stood in the normal black agent attire, proud and strong. All that stood in his presence were filled with awe._

_A woman of high rank stepped up in front of the young man, arms behind her back as she began to speak, and the hall went quiet. _

_"Eliwood Lowell, your exploits as a Renegade agent have been outstanding. Your efforts have led to the prevention of an epidemic of human mutants, and you have saved thousands of lives. None other have stepped it up like you have."_

_"Only for the citizens of this country, Lieutenant Colonel," he replied courtiously in a crisp voice. _

_"Yes, of course. But those who give it their all and then some shouldn't go unrewarded any longer."_

_He inclined his head in slight confusion, when she brought out a small medal, with blue ribbon and a golden heart. Eliwood seemed surprised to see such a thing._

_"We award you the first Blue Heart for your hard work and what you've done for the Blue Heart Renegade. Take it with pride." _

_She leaned over and pinned the Blue Heart on his jacket, and from there it shone in the light. He placed his hand over it, pressing it against his own heart. A smile crossed his face as he glanced back up at her. "I will."_

_As an applause began, a younger Mario stood with the rest of the officials in his uniform, a proud smile on his face as he glanced upon the youth._

"I was First Lieutenant at the time, and I watched him grow stronger and wiser as the years rolled by."

"So... those two, Marth and Roy... they're his children?"

"Mmm-hmm. The mother died shortly after Roy's birth in an accident, so Eliwood was left to raise up his two kids alone. And by God, did he do it well. He managed to balance between his duties and his sons and raised them up to be fine boys... heh, most of the time, anyway."

"That's incredible, for someone with as much responsibility as him."

"Nah, it's only typical for ol' Eliwood... He started training them in weapon combat at small ages, but never once did it seem like they were being rushed."

"I suppose they inherited his abilities?"

"Yep... And all was alright for a while... until that one night, about ten years ago..." His brow furrowed as the memories came back to him in an instant.

_It was a quiet evening in the Lowell household. A slightly older Eliwood watched his children play on the living room floor with various toys._

_"Brrrrrmmmm, Brrrrrmmm..." An adorable little Roy drove a car model across the carpet. "Mister Rob drives his car to work..."_

_"...unaware that a MONSTER blocks the freeway!" A child Marth slammed a Godzilla toy in the path of the tiny car. "RARGH!"_

_"Oh yeah? Well, Mister Rob has backup! He grabs his cellphone and calls..." He brought out a Transformer action figure, grinning widely. "THE... um... ROBMASTER 3000!"_

_"RARGH! GODZILLA FEARS NO PIECE-OF-JUNK ROBOT!" And so the two toys "engaged in combat," hitting against each other with the two children laughing and making exploding noises. Eliwood chuckled in amusement._

_And then the doorbell rang. _

_All attention swerved towards the door, and the amused look on Eliwood's face disappeared in an instant._

_"Dad! Visitors!" Roy cried out happily._

_"Shh!" his father immediately shushed him, ushering the two away from the door. "Both of you, hide. Now."_

"There had been rumors going around that Gulan officials were in the area, searching for Renegade agents, so you know Eliwood was cautious about it."

_Marth and Roy obeyed without question, the older jumping into a low cupboard and the younger concealing himself under a covered table. Eliwood grabbed a sword of his from off the wall, never looking away from the front door._

Mario's voice lowered as he sighed ruefully. "...But he never expected what was beyond that door. He opened it..."

_Grasping the hilt of his sword with white knuckles, Eliwood grabbed the doorknob and slowly pulled it open to face the barrel of a revolver. _

"...then **bam**."

_A gunshot rang out, and Eliwood gaped as the bullet split his sternum and buried itself deep in his chest._

"Bullet to the heart. He didn't even open the door fully."

"That's cowardly..."

Mario only nodded. "And guess who pulled the trigger."

_Eliwood clutched his chest in pain, blood squeezing out between his fingers. He slowly looked up past the smoking gun to glance into the face of Hell itself._

Peach gasped lightly. "No way..."

"Yep. I guess Bowser decided to make it personal. After all, who wouldn't get mad at someone who blew the cover off and discovered the creep was pumping himself with multiple enhancers?"

_The mutant freak of a dictator snarled at the sight of the agent's face, then swung thick knuckles across that face, and Eliwood fell to the floor from the force. From under a table, a pair of wide, damp eyes watched all this unfold._

"And poor little Roy saw the whole thing."

_"DAD!" He couldn't control himself as he leaped out from underneath and rushed to his dying father's side, tiny tears rolling down his delicate cheeks. "Dad... Dad..."_

_"S-shh, Roy, i-i-it's okay..." Eliwood cringed deeply, but took his free hand and held his son close with the little power he had left. Roy sobbed into the uninjured side of his chest, but his messy hair soon became tainted with his father's draining blood. That is, until a large hand grabbed the child by the neck and lifted him up._

"...and then for some reason, Bowser decided to take out his anger on Roy too..."

"Oh no..."

_"No...!" Eliwood cried out feebly. "Do what you want to me, but please don't hurt him!"_

_But the plead fell upon deaf ears as Bowser looked over the trembling boy with scorn. Shadows were cast over his grotesque face, so Roy couldn't see it clearly, but just the presence of the callous mutant was enough to scare the child senseless. The monster took his other hand and out slipped insanely sharp claws that made Roy begin to sweat and shut his eyes tightly in fear._

_And then it happened. A sheering pain like nothing ever felt before broke through his upper legs, and he let out a painful scream as he felt flesh tear and bones shatter._

_"ROY!" Eliwood cried out as loud as his weakened voice could get._

_Roy whimpered as he felt his legs drain out blood and other fluid as Bowser dropped him callously with no evident emotion. Once he was gone, the hurt boy opened his eyes and squealed in terror at the lack of legs underneath his shorts. _

"With one swipe of his claws, Bowser removed both of Roy's legs. Then he just... left."

"How could someone do that to a child...?"

"How can a dictator do anything? He probably left the two as a warning to the rest of us."

_When he was sure the danger was gone, Marth slowly opened the cupboard door and peeked out into the open. When he saw his injured father and brother in a sea of crimson blood, he slammed it open and rushed over to Eliwood while Roy ignored his immense pain and crawled up to his other side._

_"Dad... Dad... D-Dad..." Roy sobbed pitifully. _

_"Oh, God, Roy, I am so sorry..." Eliwood muttered woefully. "I'm so sorry..."_

_"Dad..." Marth felt his eyes begin to sting, but he didn't care. "...Are... are you gonna die? Like Mom?"_

_Eliwood slowly turned his head to look at his eldest son with dreary, weak eyes and a sickly pallor. "Marth, listen to me," he spoke in a breathless, yet firm voice. "Get Roy medical help immediately. You two **have** to live. We can't let **him** win."_

_"Dad... no..." A sob escaped Marth's throat. "Don't die... I don't want you to die..."_

_"Marth." It was quiet, not as forced, but it made the young cobalt quiet. "You two must take care of each other now. I've made you strong enough to do so. I've done my part in this world. Now it's up to you."_

_"...Dad..."_

_"Live strong...That's... all I ask..." And with his last breath spent, Eliwood shut his eyes and allowed Death to take him to the other side. Knowing he was gone forever, poor little Marth and Roy could do nothing but cry in grief over their dead father. Several minutes passed before the door opened again, and entering hastily were the First Lieutenant and several other agents. They all stood shocked at the scene before them._

"...We got word of the assassination attempt a bit too late, but we went anyway to secure the area... And when we got in... there were the two, Roy nearly bleeding to death... and Eliwood..."

"...dead."

Mario was quiet for a second before continuing. "...Marth was ten years old. Roy was seven. To say that was traumatizing would be an understatement."

Peach sighed. "What a way for such a person to go out..."

"It's not how they died that counts, it's how they lived. Eliwood was an exceptional Renegade and a great person..." Mario paused. "...And when Bowser shattered his heart with that bullet, he shattered a bit of the rest of us."

"I can only imagine..."

_In that same precession hall, the aisle was cleared as a group of officials carried the casket containing the body of the departed Eliwood while a somber silence filled the hall. Up at front, Mario stood behind the two children for support if they needed it. For now, he had a hand on Roy's shoulder as the red-haired child sniffed and rubbed his nose, sitting in a wheelchair with bandaged stumps for legs. Whereas Marth was standing stiff and shedding no tears, the last words of his father echoing in his heads relentlessly. _

A smile came to Mario's face. "Yep, but the boys were strong enough to pick themselves right up after the funeral. They took most of the funds left in the Lowell name and bought Roy a pair of those new Prosthetic limbs to replace his legs."

_So that's where the metal came from..._ Peach figured. "The advanced ones that are near-real?"

Mario nodded. "The surgery's a living hell, though. They have to attach the nerve endings to the mechanisms so that they work like normal limbs, but from what I've heard, it hurts like you wouldn't believe. I saw the Colonel go through it after she lost an arm, and by the time they were done, she was bawling like a little kid..." He thought about this, then added quietly, "Don't tell her I told you that."

Peach nodded, grinned lightly. "So, how did Roy handle it?"

"See, that's the thing. Most kids his age don't even survive the surgery since they give in to the immense pain. But Roy was a tough little tyke."

_Little Roy was laying on the operating table, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling and sweating like crazy. As Mario's brother Luigi, the leading mechanic of the Renegade, washed up and prepared for the operation, Marth stood beside Roy in comfort. _

_"Marth... I-I'm scared..."_

_"It's okay, Roy, I'm here." He took his sibling's hand. "Whenever it hurts, just squeeze as hard as you can, okay?"_

_Roy bit his lower lip and nodded._

_"Alright," Luigi came over and placed his tools down beside him, giving the boys an encouraging smile. "Looks like we're all set. You ready?"_

_"Uh-huh," Roy answered timidly. _

_"Okay, take a deep breath, Roy, here we go..."_

_Immediately, Roy let out a scream of agony that made Marth shiver, but Luigi continued, used to this reaction by now. The child cried out several times, his arm trembling with effort of squeezing his brother's hand. Marth's hand went numb, but he ignored it as he repeated "it's okay, it's okay" over and over again._

"Sure, he screamed and cried like any kid would, but with his brother beside him, he hung in there 'til it was over."

_As the operation reached its peak, Roy went from screaming to whimpering, his cheeks drenched in tears. "It hurts..." he said in a tight voice._

_"It's okay, Roy, he's almost done, just hang in there!"_

_And then his hand went limp._

_"...R-Roy?"_

_"...It stopped."_

_"What?"_

_"You said to squeeze when it hurts. It doesn't hurt anymore," Roy explained breathlessly. Marth grinned._

_"Phew!" Luigi sat back, deflated by both the work and the shock of his patient still alive. "Well... we're all done here..."_

_"You did it, Roy! You made it!" Marth cried happily. "Check out your new legs!"_

_Catching his breath, Roy slowly sat up on his elbows and glanced across the table to look upon sleek metal attached to the base of his legs, shaped as knees, lower legs, and feet. He moved his toes with multiple clinking noises, then smiled brightly through his tears._

_"Oh, how cool! They're so shiny!"_

_"You did it, Roy..." Marth pulled him into a tight hug. "Dad would be so proud..."_

_As he washed his hands, Luigi smiled at the brothers interlocked in a warm embrace. He turned to the door to hang up his coat and faced the First Lieutenant, jumping in surprise and snapping a hand into a salute._

_"Knock that off," Mario lightly slapped his brother's hand away from his brow, to which Luigi only laughed. "So, how'd it go?"_

_"Well..." Luigi stared off at the children. "You were right. He made it through."_

_"Told ya. He's Eliwood's son, of course he'd pull through."_

_"Yep." Luigi slung his coat over his shoulder. "When I've made someone's life better, I know I've done my job."_

_Mario nodded, glancing at the two boys with a smile on his face._

"And from there on out, they just kept going, inheriting all their father's weapons and gear, which was, of course, quite an extensive collection."

_"Wow..." Roy's eyes bulged at the amount of swords and guns set on the walls of the basement. _

_"Cool, huh?" Marth had seen this before, long before Roy was old enough for all of this. "And now it's all ours."_

_Roy laughed in glee and roamed around the room, staring at various weapons with "oohs" and "ahs." Marth watched him quietly with a small smile, glancing every so often at his metal legs exposed by jean shorts and rolled-down socks. He couldn't help but admire his precious little brother for making the brave decision of going through such a terrifying thing. Then again, he never imagined Roy to be the one to sit still for extended periods of time, especially in a wheelchair. _

_"Ooh, Marthy, look at that!" He pointed up at a shiny sword, Japanese type. "That sword's cool!"_

_"Oh, that's Dad's Wo Dao," he explained, reaching up and removing it off the wall for his shorter brother. He put it in Roy's hands, knowing he was responsible enough. "He used it a lot for his missions."_

_"Oooooh..." Roy grabbed the sheath it was tied to and sheathed it. "I wanna use it! Can I use it?"_

_"Sure, if you wanna..."_

_"What about that one?" He pointed at a metal rod that was displayed above the sword. Marth grabbed it, looked it over, and adjusted the moveable segments to his own size, liking the feel of it in his hands._

_"This one will be mine."_

_"Okay." Roy nodded, then Marth caught a glint in his eyes, and he knew what that meant. He moved the staff and blocked Roy's swing with a clang, and the two were soon engaged in real combat, the sparks from their blows reflecting off the other weapons' stainless steel. Like little warriors they were, using every technique taught to them, using all the strength and reflexes their tiny bodies contained in fighting each other. _

_Marth swiveled around, dodging Roy's swing and striking his leg. A resounding CLANG echoed throughout the basement, and the two froze in mid-combat. _

_"Oh, gosh, sorry!" Marth instantly apologized. _

_"That didn't hurt, Marth," Roy said quietly. "I felt it a little bit, but it didn't hurt."_

_The two stared at each other for a second, then went right back to combat again._

"They trained each other for the next few years until they became the appropriate age to become Renegade agents. And that's just what happened."

"And they've never been on a mission without the other, huh?"

Mario lightly chuckled. "That's right. It _is_ pretty hard to separate the two, but when they're paired together, they nearly match their father in strength and determination."

Peach nodded. "I can tell."

She looked back up to the front, and it seemed that Roy had won the argument as he banged his head to the grungy rock-and-roll blaring in the jeep's stereo system, his wild hair flopping along with it. Marth only sat by, but Peach glanced at the driver's side mirror and spied a smile on the loving brother's face, just as she expected.

* * *

A/N: WOO! ELIWOOD:D He'll be mentioned continuously throughout the fic, but I'm not resurrecting him, because then that would be weird and he'd be a zombie trying to eat people's brains. O.o; So, yeah... XD I'm so weird... ANYWAYS, I know the Prosthetics might sound familiar to you Full Metal Alchemist fans, so I'll disclaim that even though I'm using a different name. Never can be too careful. Oh, yeah, and I know the structure of this chappie is a little strange; I was going for the movie effect where they cycle through numerous flashbacks while someone exlpains it. That make sense? If not, then...just... stab me.

Please review!


	4. Ch 3: The Test Subject's Story

A/N: Wee-hee! Onwards to Chapter 3!

* * *

Three Renegades: Chapter 3: The Test Subject's Story

"What about him...?" Peach asked, glancing curiously at the mysterious blonde, who only leaned on the window and stared into the outside world, ignoring the wind blowing through his locks.

Mario's smile faded as he glanced at the blonde himself. "Ah... That's Link. No one quite knows who he is or what his past is, but then again, neither does he."

"What happened?"

"We don't know that much, but we do know he was one of those unfortunate kids who got taken into the Gulan Labs."

"Oh..." Peach sighed in pity.

"Before they started working on him, they erased all his memory for some reason. Imagine how that would feel..."

_Eyes of blue, empty of all feeling except fear and confusion, glanced around these unfamiliar surroundings, full of beeping things and little lights on the walls and people with long white coats speaking quietly to each other. The blonde child shivered, clutching a blanket around his cold, naked body by instinct with white knuckles, but none of them seemed to care about him at the moment. He felt a sort of emptiness, something that was called... alone. _

_At last, a man with dark skin stood above him, kneeling down to his height with a soft look on his old face. Several others holding flat things they scribbled on stood around the two, suddenly quiet and attentive. _

_"Hello," the man in front of him spoke, to which he slightly recoiled in fear, hiding his face in the blanket. _

_"Don't be afraid, I'm a friend."_

_The boy hesitantly uncovered his face. "...F-friend...?"_

_"Yes, that's right. My name is Ganon. Do you know your name?"_

_"...No..."_

_"Do you know anything about who you are?"_

_"...No..." He became uncomfortable as the people wrote on their flat pieces of wood._

_"Well, from what I know, your name is Link. Does that sound about right?"_

_Little Link shrugged his shoulders. _

_"Well, I'll call you that from now on, is that alright?"_

_Link hesitated, then nodded._

_"Good. I'm sure you and I will be good friends."_

_"...What's a 'friend?'"_

_The people exchanged glances then jotted down some more, worrying him even more._

_"A friend is a person you like and who likes you back," Ganon explained patiently. "Do you think we could be friends?"_

_"...Okay."_

"So... he knows nothing of his past, right...?"

Mario nodded. "Nothing except what the Gulan put him through. They pumped him full of enhancers for both the body and mind, and as a side effect, he ended up looking like that." He obviously meant the non-human features of the young man.

"Ah..." Peach nodded in understanding.

"We're not sure what the Gulan were doing, but I guess they were trying to breed an ultimate killing engine out of him."

"And it really seems that way the way he combats."

"Oh, yeah. I'd call that a success. But for some reason, the Gulan threw him out like garbage and called him a failure. Not the best decision, I'd say."

"So he came here?"

"More wandered here by mistake. He came a couple weeks after Eliwood's assassination, so we were all a little on edge."

_"FREEZE!" A young Renegade agent shouted at the young ten-year-old standing on the dusty path leading into the hidden Blue Heart Renegade HQ's entrance. Several other agents stood around the path with weapons at ready, just in case. The child did not respond to this, only standing there and clutching a ragged cloak which seemed to come straight out of a dumpster. _

_"State your business!" _

_The boy did not respond. _

_"I said state your business!" _

_Still no response. The agent would've kept going, but the First Lieutenant gave him a signal to cease and lowered his guard, eyes glued to the youth standing alone there as if not sure what to do._

"He just... stood there, even in the danger he was in. He was completely calm, and... there was just something about him that made us all stop."

_Mario slipped his gun away and approached the child, his crunching footsteps the only sound. He knelt down to his height, but the strange, pointed-eared boy did not look up in response. _

_"Hey." _

_No response. _

_"Are you with the Gulan?"_

_"...I don't know."_

_"Who are you?"_

_"...I don't know."_

_Mario paused, slightly confused. "Um... you armed?"_

_"No."_

_"No bombs on you or anything like that?"_

_"Nothing."_

_Mario looked him over. "Boy, you look ragged. Where did you come from?"_

_The child didn't answer, but removed a hand-made glove off his left hand and flashed his palm. Mario glanced upon the symbol, then cringed in realization._

_"Oh, you're one of those...I'm sorry..." He paused. "...So, uh, you need a place to crash?"_

_"...I guess..."_

_"Well, you can stay here if you want."_

_"But sir!" an agent called out, but was ignored as Mario placed a hand on the boy's shoulder._

_"I know what the Gulan did to you, but we'll treat you far better than that. You have my word as the First Lieutenant of the Blue Heart Renegade."_

_There was a pause, then the child lifted his gaze and stared into this new man's eyes as if judging him. Mario did not look away, he couldn't, not with those orbs that pulled him in._

"... I'll never forget those eyes... They were deep, but cold and empty, like the Gulan sapped the life out of him... You ever read Eliwood's reports on the Labs?"

Peach shook her head.

"He got all the info he could, from his own eyes and the interviews of different test subjects... And what he reported was horrific... Reading it, I didn't think any of it was real... But after looking into Link's eyes... seeing all that pain and torture within..." His brows furrowed as he had no need to go on.

"And you just took him in?"

"We didn't know about his past until he told us a bit about it, but even then, he had no more connections with the Gulan, so we took him in as an agent trainee. And damn, was he something else. He breezed through the entire training course in the span of a month. Most trainees take a year to do so, and they're usually twice his age."

"And the way he combats is amazing..."

Mario grinned. "Ah, you were treated to that, eh? Yeah, his style's a bit bloody, but very smooth and unpredictable, very effective."

"None of the deaths he causes seem to affect him..."

"It might be another effect of all those friggen enhancers on the feeling part of his brain, which would explain why he's so distant with everyone... But then again, maybe he does feel it and just doesn't show it. No one quite knows how Link's head works."

"Mmm..." Peach thought for a moment, then changed the subject. "So what do Marth and Roy have to do with him?"

Mario smiled softly. "They're the only thing close to friends he's got."

_"Boys..." First Lieutenant Mario entered the Lowell household, where in the living room (cleared out and used as a training room), Marth and Roy had set their weapons and training aside briefly to listen to what their father's old friend had to say. "This is Link."_

_He placed a shoulder on the boy who stood in front of him, a youth probably between Marth and Roy's ages. A hooded jacket covered most of his features, and he stared at the ground in a shy manner. The Lowell Brothers stared curiously at this stranger, Roy bending low to peer into his covered face in honest curiosity. _

_"No need to be shy," Mario encouraged, but Link made no movement. "...Now boys... I want you to be as friendly as possible. He's... been through a lot."_

_Marth nodded. "He can stay here, in the extra bedroom, if he wants..." He swore he could see a small nod from Link._

_Mario smiled. "Good. He's a Renegade trainee too, so you might benefit from training each other." He ushered Link a little closer towards the two boys. "I'll let you introduce yourselves to each other." He patted their shoulders, then quietly left the children alone. _

_And there was silence exchanged for quite a while as they were waiting for someone else to speak first. Knowing neither Roy nor Link were going to talk, Marth spoke up._

_"So..." He looked at Link to find something to talk about. "Um, isn't it a bit hot for a jacket...?"_

_Link paused in thought, knowing what the blue-haired child was implying. He raised his head a bit. "...You promise not to panic...?"_

_Marth and Roy looked at each other, then nodded. seeing this, Link gripped his hood and drew it back, revealing his face. The two stared at his young, pale face, skin as smooth as porcelain and eyes seeing unreal. Pointy ears stuck out behind his golden locks, suggesting something inhumane. _

_Marth would've assured him that it was not a problem, but those blonde bangs and face seemed awfully familiar. And then it dawned on him. "...Link? Is that really you?"_

_The elfish boy blinked. "What?"_

_"Roy, doesn't he look like the Link we knew...?"_

_Roy tilted his head this way and that, scrutinizing him carefully, then he smiled brightly and nodded. "Oh, yeah! Back in school, before he moved away!"_

_Link glanced helplessly between the brothers. "W-what do you mean?"_

_"We used to be best friends!" Marth exclaimed. "But we never heard from you again after you moved! What happened?"_

_Terribly bewildered, the child bellowed, "I DON'T KNOW!"_

_And that instantly stopped the questions as he shut himself off from the two, leaving the room to search for his bedroom. The room was quiet as the brothers stood slightly confused and a little hurt. _

_"Marth... why doesn't he remember...?"_

"It was tough for them to get along at first, since it turns out they were friends before Link was taken away by the Gulan, and it's not like he could remember them."

"How sad..."

"Yeah, but I explained it to them, and they understood and took him in for what he was now. and so they grew up together and entered the agent force, and a few years later, here we are."

"Wow... I can see why they only had to send these three here..."

"Yep. The best trio of agents you could get. Too bad they had to be traumatized before they could become the best."

Peach let that statement roll around in her mind a bit as she glanced up at front, Roy dizzy from his headbanging session, Marth laughing, and Link shaking his head and staring out the window again as if searching for something. What it was exactly no one would ever know.

Something told her that the farther this trio went past the Gulan lines, the closer they'd get to stopping this force of evil...

* * *

A/N: Alright, I've got one more chapter I'm gonna finish writing, and that's where I'm stuck. Once that's up, I'll be desperately asking for help. I have ideas for a later scene and the ending, but I have no idea what to put in between. When that time comes, please help! In the meantime, review! 


	5. Ch 4: Deep Thoughts

A/N: OMG, I am SO sorry I've been neglecting you! Please forgive me, for I RETURNTH! 8D Yep, this is my next long chappie, with NO action and some emotion. Yay. 8D But hey, progress in a story is progress. Okay, in this chappie, there are some signs of Mario/Samus, as well as former Samus/Eliwood. Weird, I know, but bear with me. Here we go!

* * *

Three Renegades: Chapter 4: Deep Thoughts

**_Blue Heart Renegade Concealed Headquarters, Somewhere in the Midwest..._**

"...highly disappointed! I never believed you three to be so careless...!"

Within the confines of the briefing room, the three Renegades agents were currently being chastised by the Colonel herself. Colonel Aran was known as a very uptight leader, her uniform seemingly perfect with no creases and her sandy blonde hair pulled up in a tight bun. Her emerald eyes flashed with deep determination, and there was almost always a weapon on her belt. Today's weapon of choice was an antique military shotgun from the early 2000's, fully loaded and operational. She was in a foul mood today.

The three agents stood in front of her, stiff and unresponsive to her ranting. Roy sulked, hands in pockets, his brother Marth standing firm and taking the scolding while every so often glancing at Roy irratibly. Link, as usual, stood there without any apparent emotion.

Colonel Aran paused once she knew her usual methods of downsizing wouldn't work on these particular agents, glancing at Marth. "...I hope you have a viable explanation for blowing up an entire base and possibly alerting other Gulan operatives."

"Hey, they had a Death Bomb for...!"

"I was _asking_ your brother," she snapped at Roy, who flinched and instantly halted his protests.

Marth sighed, the answered firmly, "The Gulan commanding officer of the base, Captain Falcon, had held the First Lieutenant at gunpoint. Given the circumstances, my brother had no choice but to terminate him. None of us had known he was the host of a Death Bomb until it was set off."

Mario sat apart from this, behind the long table where officials usually sat, decked in full uniform. He sighed to himself as he knew that Marth was only trying to help his brother get out of trouble, even if Roy deserved a little discipline now and then. Though Mario seemed calm, he sat and thought tensely, _Come on, Roy, don't blow it..._

"Yeah, and besides, none of them survived anyway, so what's the big deal?"

_Aw..._ The Lieutenant Colonel held his forehead in dismay.

"The 'big deal' is that you always act on impulse!" she exclaimed, turning her fury fully on the redhead. "A Renegade doesn't come up with excuses for his screw-ups, but if you were _half_ the agent your father was, you wouldn't need excuses in the first place!"

This hit a chord dead on, and the agitated look on Roy's face melted, and one could almost hear his heart plummet. Colonel Aran had broken through his demeanor once again.

Marth winced, her words stabbing at him as well as seeing Roy sink low. Normally Link would not respond to this, but even he cast his glance downwards so he couldn't look at Roy.

Mario cleared his throat quite loudly, gaining the attention of Colonel Aran. He gave her a disapproving look, then she rolled her eyes and sighed. "...But, then again... we were planning a full-fledged assault on that base in a few weeks' time... So I guess you saved us the trouble..." She restrained herself from adding in an exception, and finished off with, "You're dismissed."

The three silently exchanged glances, then turned around and hastily left the briefing room for their dorms. The Colonel rubbed her temple gingerly as Mario stood up, eyeing her patiently.

"You did it again, Samus."

If anyone else beside Mario had stated her first name, Colonel Aran would've "gone ballistic," as veteran agents would put it. Mario was a special person. "Yeah... so?"

"You can't do that to them, Samus. The other agents tell them that enough."

The Colonel found a sudden interest in organizing the scattered papers on the table. "Yeah, well, they need to learn how to suck it up and stop acting childish."

"It's not about sucking it up or being childish. You can't expect them to live up to Eliwood's standards right now. It's most likely they may even surpass him someday, but they're only children. You need to give them time."

"We don't have that time, Mario!" she snapped just for the sake of snapping. "You can't keep protecting them anymore! Hover over their shoulders anymore and they'll go soft!"

Mario only stood there, and his silence got her to pause briefly. "You don't even know what you're saying anymore."

Samus cringed and went back to her paper-shuffling.

Mario ignored this. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I should let up. But you know what they've been through. You know it'll take them more time. And let me ask you this- what don't we have time for?"

Samus' hands moved about feverishly until Mario's hand firmly pressed down on her wrist and did not let go when she struggled. Surprised, she glanced up into his stern eyes of blue.

"Listen to me, Samus. The Blue Heart Renegade was just as strong before Eliwood's recruitment, and it still is now, even after his death. We don't need another stellar agent in order to stay strong. The way you badger Marth and Roy leads me to believe you're _that_ insecure."

"Don't be stupid!" Samus forcefully drew her hand out from underneath his, turning away and massaging her sore wrist bitterly. "I... I just..."

She didn't have to say it. Mario already knew. He knew she was never this angry at the world before Eliwood's murder, and he knew why. He remembered the two to be quite the couple when not involved with Renegade business, and how drastically different Samus had been during that time. She was devastated by the news of his death, and Mario was there to comfort her, and they've had close relations ever since. But without the young, charismatic agent to brighten her usually stressful days, Samus would never be the same woman again.

Mario sighed, moving from behind the table and making his way towards the exit. He halted briefly beside her, but she made no movement herself. "His own children have learned to move on. You should take after them."

Of course, Samus did not answer that suggestion. Mario resumed his walk and left her alone in the briefing room. She slowly slipped off her glove and rolled up her sleeve to expose her metal Prosthetic arm, staring at it thoughtfully. She had nearly given in to despair when she had lost her real arm in one of her early missions, but Eliwood wouldn't let her. He had even paid for the surgery himself as he strived to comfort her at the same time.

_"Samus, you must remain strong. I know it's difficult, I know the pain, but you cannot give in to it. You need to pick yourself up, leave your regrets behind, and keep walking. You need to keep going, for the Renegade... for me."_

She clenched her fingers, setting together in a fist with a clank. These words, spoken so passionately, echoed in her head relentlessly, an effect the departed agent always seemed to have on her. If he knew how she was dealing with the pain after these years, he would've been highly disappointed.

_Keep walking... That's what you would want me to do, right, Eliwood...? Maybe... Maybe it's time to move on..._

----------

Link withdrew the damp, bloody cloth away from his face, examining his wound in the mirror. It was cleaner now, but the cut was long and deep. Normally, it would take a long time for an engraving like this to heal, and then it would leave a nice battle scar, but since one of Link's multiple injections targeted his body's healing process, this wound would probably heal in two days tops.

"Hey, Link." The blonde jumped and turned towards the doorway to see Marth enter. Link silently cursed himself for being caught off-guard so easily and being so jumpy.

"Mmm," he responded, turning back sharply to the mirror. He watched Marth approach on the clear surface, his blue eyes studying his friend's reflection.

"That's a pretty deep wound you've got there..."

"It's fine," Link cut him off, stuffed the cloth away, and left the mirror's side.

Marth blinked. "So, what, you're just gonna leave it like that?"

"Yeah, what's the problem?" The elfish being looked at his partner crossly.

"It'll heal twice as fast if you cover it. And you wouldn't want it to get infected."

"It _won't_ get infected."

"Yes. It will," Marth stressed, beginning to lose his temper.

Link gave him in irritated glare, his voiced laced with impatience. "Marth, you know I've had worse than this. I'll be fine."

"Just, please, do something about it."

"Why does it matter?" Link's voice rose in anger. "Why do _you_ care all of the sudden?"

"Because you're my friend!" Marth's voice was set at the same volume.

"Friend? _Friend?_" Link bellowed as if it was an insult. "I don't remember you! I'm not the normal boy you used to know! So why _should_ you care?"

Marth gripped his shoulders tightly, his stern look and imposing form getting Link to stop short. "Because... Deep down, I know my friend is still in there underneath all the enhancers and memory loss, and... I can't miss the chances of him coming back."

At this, a dark scowl engulfed Link's features, his face unusually raw with emotion. "So what am _I_, then? An obstacle? Your friend's prison?"

"Link..."

"...Get out."

"Come on, you know I don't..."

"Get out!"

It didn't seem like Link had the desire to reason at the moment, so Marth sighed, released him, and quietly left the room, almost looking hurt. Link glared at the door, then yanked open a drawer and pulled out a bandage disdainfully. And he proceeded to cover up his wound, complex thoughts streaming through his enhanced mind.

----------

Roy himself was in deep thought, sitting upon his bed as he oiled the joints in his legs silently with little concentration. It was easy, really; squirt some on the knees, a little on each toe... not much concentration was needed. All the task did beside tune up his hardware was keep his hands busy while he was in deep thought over what the Colonel had said.

It really shouldn't have bothered him that much. She tells him that nearly every day, not to mention all the pressure from the other agents. Besides, his dad was the greatest, and he was his own blood, for Christ's sake! They had every reason to downsize him...

But still... every single time, it hurt. It really did. Roy hated all the pressure, hated the high expectations he had been given. It was in no means fair to the red-headed youth, and Marth wasn't nearly as chastised for some reason. His companions told him to just suck it up, but it just wasn't that easy...

And that's when self-doubt began to creep into his mind. They were right. He needed to grow up, take action, be more like his father. Why couldn't he do such a simple thing? Why was he so incapable...?

Roy grimaced as a spot of black oil slipped and landed on the sheets, staining the white clothes through the three layers. Roy bit his lip in annoyance, hardly noticing the door opening.

"Hey, you. Getting a little clumsy, huh?"

The boy glanced up at the door to meet at least _one_ friendly face. Major Luigi Mario was the Technical Consultant to the Blue Heart Renegade, not to mention one of the best mechanics around on the rebels' side. However, the superiors were skeptical of his professionalism, for he was quite young for his status and had less-than-sufficient respect for authority. But there was nothing anyone could do; after all, he _was_ the Lieutenant Colonel's brother. So it didn't matter if his sepia locks were shaggy and untamed, only held back by a headband, or he was more content to wearing work-stained clothes instead of the uniform. He worked less on missions and more in the garage.

Between him and Roy was a strong friendship, ever since Luigi first designed his custom legs. During that time, the Major was in the same predicament of proving his worth to his superiors, and they realized these similarities as Roy grew older. So despite a good sixteen years between them, they treated each other like casual buddies.

"Hey," Roy grunted a greeting. "What's up?"

Luigi reached into his pocket and brought out a measuring tape. "Measuring time again."

"What, already?"

"Just to make sure." Luigi settled on the bed next to him, stretching the tape across one of Roy's legs. "So, Mario told me the Colonel really chewed you out."

Roy snorted. "Yeah."

Luigi chuckled. "Heh, what'd you do, blow something up?"

"Yeah. A whole base."

Luigi's eyes bulged, a wondrous look on his face that made him seem much younger. "Fuck, are you serious? How'd you do it?"

"General had a Death Bomb."

While measuring Roy's arm, Luigi paused and gave his pal a skeptical look. "A Death Bomb. For their own base?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, now, that's just stupid."

"My thoughts exactly..." Roy sighed, examining his fingernails out of boredom.

"...Well, if you think about it, they could've had that 'if the captain sinks, so does the ship' mentality."

"Yeah, well, the Colonel still got pissed at me for it."

"Mario said she's just frustrated, that's all, so don't take it so personally. Trust me, I've dealt with that crap before, and it was worse right after your dad died." He glanced at the measures he took. "Whoa, you got another two inches on you! I'm surprised you're able to stay balanced!"

"Ugh... that means I gotta go through the surgery again, huh?"

"Fraid so."

Roy groaned and lightly bopped his back against the headboard. "Augh, I just had it two months ago..."

"Welcome to puberty," Luigi muttered. "I'll make the next model a few extra inches to grow into, alright?"

"Uh-huh..."

"...Something else up?"

"Eh..." Roy sighed, knowing Luigi wouldn't leave him alone until he got this off his skin. "...I'm just thinking... What do you think?"

"About what?"

"Me. As a fighter," Roy answered offhandedly. "Do you think I'm... inferior?"

"Hell no!" The mechanic slightly startled him with a loud laugh. "I've seen you in action during the Prosthetic tests- you're one of the best I've seen!"

"What about the other two? I haven't beaten Link _or_ Marth in a duel..."

"They're older, more experienced, that's all."

Roy wasn't convinced. "But..."

Luigi thought carefully of how to word his next thoughts as he tossed the measuring device about in his hand. "Well... the way I see it... a warrior..." His sapphire eyes fell on Roy's legs, a smile stretching under his mustache. "...is like a Prosthetic. It's strong, durable..." He laughed as something passed his train of thought. "...and something it can get a little outta control."

"Har, har," Roy muttered, knowing what he meant. A couple years ago, a new set of legs he was given malfunctioned and sent him running all throughout the Headquarters. He remembered well that embarrassing incident.

_"Wha?"_

_"What the hell?"_

_"WAAAAAH! SORRY!" Roy cried out to the mess he left behind in the room before darting away, his legs moving at a fast tempo. Sparks trailed behind him as they moved against his will._

_"Hang on, Roy!" Mario called out from behind him. "Marth and Link will catch you!"_

_The youth looked ahead down the hallway as the two stepped out, Marth brandishing his staff and Link pulling out his swords. Roy began to panic, wondering what they would do to stop him, but there was nothing he could say of the matter. _

_As he approached as an alarming rate, the two stepped aside quickly, much to his surprise. Marth extended his staff across the floor, and Roy's out-of-control legs tripped over as planned. As Roy fell and both his legs flew behind him, Link took his swords and stabbed each one into each lower leg, creating a tiny firework show of sparks. There was a low hum, and as Roy hit the floor, his broken legs shut themselves down._

_Catching his breath, the redhead rolled over and stared at his torn legs, sighing in relief. "...Thanks."_

_Link only nodded as Marth smiled. "Not a problem, Roy."_

_"Heh," Luigi chuckled, approaching the scene. "Good thing I used steel instead of titanium this time, huh?"_

Luigi smirked. "You gotta admit, that was funny as hell."

"For you, maybe."

"Hehe, but anyway, back to what I was saying, a Prosthetic's gotta be tuned up before it can prove itself efficient. You gotta wind the gears tightly, oil the joints, secure each plating..."

"Yeah, and?"

"Oh, sorry. But yeah, basically, you just gotta fix up a few things about yourself."

"Like what?"

"I'm a mechanic, not a personal trainer. Go ask your bro or something. Then again, if you really want to get better, you'd know already what you need to fix. That make sense?"

Roy thought for a bit, then nodded. "Yeah..."

Luigi grinned. "Good. Cause I just pulled most of that out of my ass a couple seconds ago."

That got a good laugh out of Roy, and the boy glanced at his friend. "Thanks, Weeg."

"No problem." He brought out a screw-bit wrench. "Let me get this things off to make the adjustments..." With a simple click on each screw near the base, the legs came off Roy easily. Luigi swung them over his shoulder casually. "As usual, law low in here for a while. I'll get this done tonight, and we'll have the surgery in the morning."

Roy sighed and nodded, and was quiet as Luigi left him alone. He stared down at his metal stubs, running his thumb over the exposed wires that were implanted into his flesh and attached to his nerves. Too tired to form any thoughts, he yawned and threw a thin sheet over his body, laying down and preparing to fall asleep, when a soft tap knocked against his door. He moaned tiredly and irritably.

"It's open," he grumbled, burying his face in his pillow. He heard the door open and close, and soft footsteps approached the bed.

"Hey," Roy turned up at that voice, blinking tiredly at his older brother.

"Mmm," he muttered a greeting, turning over on his back. "What's up?"

"Ah, just wanted to let you know..." Marth paused casually, sighing tiredly. "The Colonel's debriefing us on our next mission tomorrow morning."

"WHAT?" Roy shot up. "Ah, no..."

"Oh, would you stop whining?" Marth scolded irritably.

"No, it...!" Instead of explaining, Roy threw off his sheets to reveal his exposed stubs, allowing his brother to figure it out for himself.

Marth gaped. "Aw, don't tell me you've got surgery in the morning!"

Roy nodded gloomily.

"Fuck!" the cobalt cursed, throwing his arms into the air in dismay. "Why now?"

"Luigi said so, that's why!"

Marth growled at the ceiling through his teeth to vent out his frustration, then sighed and glanced back at Roy, who withdrew slightly.

"Uh... s-sorry..."

"Ah, we'll figure something out," Marth mumbled, dropping onto the bed beside him. "The Colonel can't put us in a mission if you don't have any legs."

"Mmm." The redhead glared bitterly at his stubs. "...I hate these things. I wish I didn't have to deal with these..."

"...So you'd rather be dead?"

This caught Roy's attention, and he glanced up at his brother questioningly.

Marth's face was deadpan as he continued. "You can't change what that bastard did to you. Nothing you could do then, nothing you can do now. You should be thankful you still have your life."

Roy sighed gruffly. He had heard this lecture a bazillion times, mouthing the words as they came out of Marth's mouth. He didn't care if his brother snapped at him for his attitude. Nothing he could've said would improve his rotten mood.

And then Marth said something he did not expect.

"What, do you think you're useless?"

The question made Roy flinch, but he did not look up at his sibling.

"Come on, don't be stupid!" Marth scolded somewhat fiercely. "You're not useless! Just because you're handicapped doesn't mean you get in the way! How can you think that?"

Roy churned in his seat, but didn't respond.

"Roy..." Marth sighed, realizing yelling would do him no good. "Come on, bro, what would Dad say with that attitude of yours?"

"..." His scowl loosened, giving his face a look of depression and regret.

Marth noted this change, and then he understood. "...Oh... That been bothering you...?"

Roy sighed, a definite 'yes.'

The cobalt paused, choosing his next words carefully. "...Roy, I... I know you hate all the pressure, but... I don't care what those rookies say. Besides, the higher-ups know you're a good agent."

Roy huffed gruffly. "Sha right..."

"No, I'm serious. Even the Colonel knows. She's just stressed out, lots of work to do, and when you make a mistake like that, you open yourself up for her to vent out her frustrations."

"..." Roy's gaze slowly lifted from the ground.

"Even so, that doesn't make you a bad agent." He smiled lightly. "'Cause you're the best one I know."

The boy sulked at his brother. "You're just saying that..."

"Yeah, only cause it's true," Marth smirked. "Sure, your temper gets a little outta control, but you know how to take charge of a situation, for better or worse, and you never second-guess. If I was the one with the gun when Falcon pulled off that stunt, I don't think First Lieutenant Peach would've survived. No one else I know would have the nerve or skill to take that risk."

After a bit of thinking, a tiny smile came to Roy's face. "...Except maybe Link."

"...Yeah, maybe..." Marth's face fell at that.

"...He acting up again?"

"Mmm." He sighed, glancing at his idle fingers. "...I... just can't figure out what's eating at him..."

"What's _not_ eating at him?" Roy stated bluntly.

"I keep trying to help him, but he's more stubborn than _you_." It was a lame attempt at a brotherly insult and was disregarded. "...It's so goddamn frustrating..."

The room grew quiet at that as the two were left to their own thoughts. A few minutes passed until Roy gave out a long, heavy yawn, smacking his lips tiredly.

Marth grinned softly, reaching up and ruffling his little brother's wild hair. "Get some sleep, squirt. You'll need it for the surgery tomorrow."

Roy chuckled. "You won't be calling me squirt for long after tomorrow. Weeg says I'm growing a lot more, so he's adding on a few inches to my legs. I might even be as tall as you!"

"Yeah, but you'll still be a squirt anyways." At this, Roy scowled as he weakly punched Marth in the shoulder. The older brother smirked in a most amused fashion as he retaliated by pushing him back onto the bed, which didn't seem to have its desired effect as Roy only snorted in contained laughter.

Marth shook his head and stood, grasping the thin blanket at the foot of the bed and tossing it at his sibling's chest. "Seriously, though, go to sleep."

"Yeah, yeah..." Roy spread the blanket out and curled up, falling asleep before Marth could have a chance to leave. He lingered at the doorway, glancing over his younger brother's form almost sadly before stepping out to let him rest.

* * *

A/N: GOD, freaking FINALLY! Sorry about that. Blame school. I do. :) Anyways, I got good news! Y'know how I was stuck and I needed your help? Well, no more! I talked it out with my friend Cesar, and he gave me an AWESOME idea, so that smote my writer's block and got me on the ball again. Everybody give a shout out to Cesar in your review! 8D 


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